Meet 2026 FIFA World Cup final referee Slavko Vincic, who was caught by police at a raided ‘sex party’ before taking to football’s biggest stage | International Sports News

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be officiated by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, who has a huge reputation on football’s biggest stage. However, a few years before receiving one of the sport’s highest honors, Vincic was unexpectedly involved in a police raid that briefly made him headlines for reasons that had nothing to do with football.The incident occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2020, where Vincic was questioned by police after police raided a gathering related to drugs and prostitution. He was later released without any charges and authorities confirmed he was not involved in the criminal activity being investigated. Since then, Vincic’s status has continued to rise and he is currently preparing to officiate in the World Cup finals.

How Slavko Vincic overcame a mistaken police investigation to reach fifa world cup 2026 Finals

In May 2020, Slavko Vincic found himself in an unexpected situation while traveling to Bijelina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for a business meeting. He reportedly accepted an invitation to have lunch at a private ranch. During the rally, police carried out large-scale raids targeting suspected drug and prostitution crimes.During the operation, police reportedly seized four packages of cocaine, 10 handguns, more than £8,000 in various currencies and three protective vests. Several people were arrested at the location, including Tijana Maksimovic, who later pleaded guilty to charges related to international solicitation of prostitution.Vincic was also taken to the police station, but only as a witness. After questioning, investigators determined that he had no connection with the criminal group. The Slovenian referee was not charged and was released shortly afterwards.Speaking about the incident later, Vincic explained that he was on a business trip to Bosnia and had only accepted a lunch invitation. He said he didn’t know anyone involved in the investigation and described the entire experience as an unfortunate mistake. He added that he and his business partner cooperated fully with authorities, who quickly realized they were not involved in criminal activity.The incident did not affect Vincic’s career. Instead, he went on to receive important international appointments. He officiated two games at Euro 2020 before officiating the 2022 Europa League final between Rangers and Eintracht Frankfurt.His rise to prominence continued when UEFA selected him to referee the 2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium. These appointments further cement his reputation as one of the most trusted match officials in Europe.In the 2026 World Cup, Vincic has coached three games, including Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco, Algeria’s 2-1 victory over Jordan, and Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador. During the game, he showed a red card to Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapi.Now experienced Slovenian referee will oversee world football’s biggest competition Lionel MessiArgentina faced Lamin Yamal’s Spain in the World Cup final.